A/N: chapter 9: Rin goes home and has a conversation with Kaede.


Chapter 10: Rin's Optimism Took a Wrong Turn

Rin was glad Kaede was still in good health and took the news of Rin's pregnancy well.

Rin's endeavor to borrow money for Kaede's illness was not wasted.

The morning after, Rin woke up early. She resumed her home routine just like before she left.

Kaede offered to help, but Rin insisted that Kaede should rest.

After all her chores were done, Rin took the diamond ring to a jewelry shop to sell it. They offered $12,000 for the ring which was undervalued, but it was fine since Rin only needed $10,000 to pay the debt.

She went to the house of Lord Asano as soon as she got the money and was received by his daughter, Sara who seemed glad to see Rin as she pulled Rin into a friendly hug.

After the two women greeted each other, Sara asked, "You came home so soon. I thought you will be there for about a year."

"I got lucky and made the amount of money I need. Thank you, Sara, for introducing me to Goshinki. Without you two helping me to get to that country, I would never be able to come up with that kind of money."

"Wow. You already made the money you need in just two months?"

"Yes." Rin grinned and nodded. "If I may come in to see Lord Asano, I would like to pay the debt and take back my debt contract."

"Hmm. My father has some important business to attend to and wouldn't be back in three days."

"Oh." Rin lowered her face slightly. "Yes, thank you so much, Sara, for everything you've done for me."

Sara chuckled. "It's no problem, Rin. I'm glad it all worked out. I never want to see a young beautiful girl like you wasting her whole life as my father's mistress."

Rin plunged forward and hugged Sara so tight, Sara laughed out loud and returned the hug.

Rin left and promised to be back in about three days.

Rin came back three days later and Sara said her father wouldn't be home until around 9 in the evening and told Rin to come then.

Rin thanked Sara and promised to be back at 9.

At the appointed time, Rin headed out to Sara's house.

She walked leisurely down the village road, occasionally hitting the leaves on the trees by the roadside, smiling to herself.

The memory of Sesshomaru playing with her body flickered in her memory. His deep golden eyes gazed in her mind.

A surge of sensuous excitement pulsed through the deeper part of her body.

And the sound of his deep gentle "Yes, Rin, as you wish" fluttered her heart.

If only he was there at that exact moment...

She winced her eyes and shook her head vigorously, shaking off her unbelievably sinful desire for a murderous beast and his supernatural physical ability which was in itself another uncanny characteristic.

Better not know.

Better still - get out of my mind, Sesshomaru-sama.

Before all that had happened, Rin had planned to go to a college and was already offered a full scholarships for being academically gifted, but at the moment with the loving creature in her womb, her plan would have to take a different turn.

After she paid Lord Asano, she would use some of the extra money to pay for an apprenticeship at the local apothecary to learn the trade and spend the rest of her free time teaching herself medicine - not the exact vision she had had of her future, but at least it would be somewhat more normal than all the recent events she had endured.

It was getting dark, and it was probably not a good idea to be with Lord Asano that late in the evening. And the sooner she got the debt contract into her hands, the better.

Rin quickened her pace.

Just a few more minutes.

As soon as Rin reached the long stretch of woodland, part of the Asano estate leading to the Asano house, a thick bush rustled slightly.

Rin looked its way. She stopped for a second and lingered for a moment.

Sesshomaru-sama.

Hmm. He had said he wouldn't follow her as she wished, but that man…

Blah. Bush rustling was actually a normal bush activity. Though, the feeling that someone was watching her had been nagging her since the day she left.

That look that Sesshomaru gave her when he held her hand before at the gate was the look of "Know that you're forever within my grasp, Rin" look.

Bah. It was paranoia. That's all.

She continued walking - for all three small steps when a man grabbed her hair from behind and edged a knife to her neck.

"Give me your money," the man said.

Another masked man appeared in front of her. "Be careful with her neck there, mate. Boss said to leave her beauty intact."

Hah?! Who's Boss? Well, whatever. Boss said they can't hurt me.

Rin pushed the knife outwards and coursed sideward into the woods, but she fell into another man's arm who clutched her stomach and pressed his hand on her mouth.

The other two men joined him in the woods, and they all had sinister chuckles as they approached her.

It wasn't hard at all for them to take the bag of gold from her.

At least they left her beautifully intact, per Boss.

She came out of the woods and sat down on the side of the road leaning against a tree.

She looked at the crescent moon hanging quietly at the end of a maple leaf smiling at her. She returned with a smile.

Sesshomaru-sama didn't follow her then. He would have crushed the men's bones to dust.

Maybe, just maybe, she was born to be someone's mistress or escort or some form of sexual entertainment for some man whether he be the promiscuous Naraku, the murderous Sesshomaru, or the older lecherous Lord Asano.

Nobody normal. All sharks.

Which one was the lesser of the three evils. Who knew. It didn't matter anymore.

She should have married one of the more normal classmates who had expressed interest in her and have a normal family, but she didn't have any feelings for them.

Spending the rest of her life with someone was an important decision. She'd rather be like Kaede than just randomly marry someone just because it was social standards.

Her arrogant dream of becoming a medical scientist working in some research lab and be married to a man she loves had paved the path for her to come to that exact spot, against that very tree, underneath that crescent moon, with a child of a murderous man in her stomach.

And about to be a bound servant in the house of Lord Asano - indefinitely.